The Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, Sanja Bozhinovska, visited the "Tikvesh" hydropower plant today to get informed about the current state of hydropower potential, technical readiness, and the challenges related to water levels in the country.
The level of the country’s largest artificial reservoir, Lake Tikvesh, remains far below the required level. The water in the lake has not even reached the upper threshold of the Tisovec tunnel, which lies at an elevation of 245 meters. In general, the situation is critical across the entire country.
Bozhinovska, together with the director of the plant, Zvonko Boškov, and representatives from the leadership of ESM, toured the Tikvesh Hydropower Plant. During the tour of the dam, it was clearly visible that the water level was far below the required level. The empty space, once filled with water, now attests to the seriousness of the situation. The Minister emphasized the urgent need for careful and responsible resource management. "The picture we encountered sends a clear and urgent message – energy is not infinite," said Bozhinovska.
"This is a call for vigilance. We will make maximum efforts to optimize the use of resources. We will also address why the Macedonian energy capacities have been depleted, but I know that with an honest approach and hard work, the current situation can be changed, and I will not give up, neither I nor this government, on the intention for Macedonia to become an energy-independent country," emphasized Bozhinovska.
The team from the hydropower plant informed that, aside from the critical situation with the water, they were also concerned about a potential failure, as if the water level continues to fall, with "air entering the inlet pipes," it could lead to cavitation and serious damage to the system. The attendees mentioned that this was the first visit by a minister in nearly two decades, and the favorable weather conditions on the day were also appreciated. Today, there was seven times more water inflow compared to the previous period, thanks to the heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours.
"I inherited an empty reservoir, with a level 12 meters below the average for this time of year. But today, for the first time, we have inflows that are double digits after a long time. Recently, we had inflows of 5 cubic meters per second, and just in the last 24 hours, we have inflows of 77 cubic meters per second. We hope that this will continue to increase, and the future production will contribute to higher revenues for our company, which will, in turn, improve primary and secondary regulation, enabling a more stable energy system in our country," said the director of HEC Tikvesh, Mr. Zvonko Boškov.
The Minister also wanted to personally see the situation in the machine hall, which is located at the foot of the dam. HEC "Tikvesh" produces electrical energy with an installed capacity of 113 MW and an annual output of 144 GWh, but is now facing significant limitations due to water shortages. The management also informed the Minister about future investment plans to improve the situation. The Minister expressed gratitude to the HEC "Tikvesh" team for their dedication to maintaining production.
The working visit to the "Tikvesh" hydropower plant is part of the ongoing activities of the Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources to strengthen the transparency, efficiency, and long-term stability of the energy sector.
